Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: The Living Rug Company  (Read 3688 times)

Calvadnack

  • Joined Jun 2009
The Living Rug Company
« on: January 08, 2017, 07:24:22 am »
Has anyone seen the rugs produced by this company by felting a backing onto a raw whole fleece?  I'd love to do it but I'm not sure how to attach the the backing without felting the rest of the fleece.  I guess washing the end result in the bath would be needed. Any idea?

http://www.thelivingrugcompany.com/how-your-rugs-are-made

roddycm

  • Joined Jul 2013
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2017, 02:13:49 pm »
No clue at all but what a clever idea! I will be sharing the website as I know lots of veggies who would love this!

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2017, 04:51:44 pm »
A lady bought some fleeces from me to make fleece rugs.  She carefully chose fleeces which held together well, then simply felted the backs in the usual way, without adding extra carded fibre as the link shows.  She showed me some she had 'made earlier' in true Blue Peter fashion, and they were brilliant.  The right side wasn't felted at all.  I think you'd have to try an actual fleece for yourself to iron out the minutiae of making them.  I certainly intend to have a go.  The upside is that fleeces which have started to cling together on the butt side are less ideal for spinning, so it's a true alternative use.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

mojocafa

  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Angus
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2017, 05:33:14 pm »
Ohn just checked out the website, looks fabulous!

I wonder if Deborah could be approached to do a workshop with some of us. I gave away all my fleece from last year so ideally in June time so we could take along our own fleece  :thinking:
pygmy goats, gsd, border collie, scots dumpys, cochins, araucanas, shetland ducks and geese,  marrans, and pea fowl in a pear tree.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2017, 06:06:34 pm »
I brought sacks of felted and semi felted fleece with me, along with some good fleece, and hope to have a go at making felted rugs and pads.  Using batts on the back sounds brilliantly simple, and a good way to use up other fleece that's not yet felted but isn't wanted for spinning.  Do need to make the batts from fleece that felts, of course... Ryland would be no good, would have to needleflet that on.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2017, 12:29:41 am »
I have heard of it being done by needle felting the cut ends but that would take a lot of work. This seems like a good idea.

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2017, 06:57:04 am »
I've got a couple of part felted shetland fleeces to try it with sometime.
One of the angora goat club members was trying it with matted mohair fleeces last year, haven't seen the results yet.

YorkshireLass

  • Joined Mar 2010
  • Just when I thought I'd settled down...!
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2017, 09:47:38 am »
Very clever!

Calvadnack

  • Joined Jun 2009
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #8 on: January 09, 2017, 02:00:32 pm »
Although I spin, I'm a complete beginner at felting, so do please keep us posted if you have a go. Glad you thought it looked a good idea and might be a quick way to process a few fleeces.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2017, 12:28:23 pm »
I'd love to do it but I'm not sure how to attach the the backing without felting the rest of the fleece.  I guess washing the end result in the bath would be needed. Any idea?

Not sure we answered that query.  Generally, the butts of the locks are far more inclined to felt than the tips, so in theory the tips would stay free while the butts felted into the backing.  That's the theory ;)

You'd be using soap for the felting, so I would think that simply rinsing it all off would leave the whole thing pretty clean.  Again, that's the theory. 


Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Calvadnack

  • Joined Jun 2009
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2017, 07:08:06 pm »
Thank you, I'll have to have a go on a small bit.  I've lots of Shetland fleeces but don't want to waste too much carded fleece trying it out.

Polyanya

  • Joined Mar 2015
  • Shetland
    • The Creative Croft
    • Facebook
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2017, 08:12:20 pm »
Wow, thanks for the link - how clever! Like I need another craft idea though  ::)
In the depths of winter, I found there was in me an invincible summer - Camus

www.thecreativecroft.co.uk

Blackbird

  • Joined Jul 2012
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2017, 12:57:43 pm »
I was given a mostly felted Leicester Longwool fleece last year and have been needle felting the areas where the fleece isn't holding together, using carded fleece. Where it's too "piecey" for this, I've stitched sections together from the back using sock darning wool. It's a bit laborious, but there's something curiously satisfying about the stabbing process! I will post a picture when I've finished. My husband's response, after the inevitable "what on earth are you  doing?" was to gently enquire whether I really needed another hobby! We are both committed vegetarians, and our sheep are with us till they die so I wouldn't feel comfortable having sheepskins as opposed to fleeces.
Where are we going - and why am I in this handcart?

Calvadnack

  • Joined Jun 2009
Re: The Living Rug Company
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2017, 06:58:41 pm »
I've scheduled a day with friends who can felt for when it gets warmer, will definitely try this. I also don't want the skins from my girls on the floor, as I said to a friend, it would be like being haunted ! I do want a momento of my special old girls and although I spin this looks more like the living sheep.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS